Jan 25
12
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 6:1–8; 7:1, 6–7, 11–12, 17–24
“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:1–8)
“Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.’” (Genesis 7:1)
“Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.” (Genesis 7:6–7)
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7:11–12)
“The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.” (Genesis 7:17–24)
New Testament Reading: Luke 17:20-37
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’ And he said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.’ And they said to him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’” (Luke 17:20–37)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Eschatology matters.
What is eschatology? The word means the study of last things. Theologically, it is the study of what the Bible says concerning the time of the end. Considered narrowly, eschatology is concerned with questions related to the return of Christ, the final judgment, and the eternal state of believers and non-believers. Considered more broadly, eschatology is also concerned with questions about how things will be at the time of the end. What will things be like on earth before Christ returns? What condition will the world be in? What will be the condition and experience of Christ’s church?
You might have noticed that many professing Christians today obsess over questions about the future. Some will spend a great deal of time studying eschatology to the utter neglect of more foundational areas of theology such as theology proper (the study of the Triune God), Christology (the study of Christ), soteriology (the study of the doctrine of salvation), and ecclesiology (the study of the doctrine of the church). And some who obsess over eschatology have errored badly in their interpretation of Scripture and veer off into the realm of speculations. These are not content to know, in general terms, what will happen in the future according to the Scriptures, but go beyond the Scriptures in trying to discern what exactly will happen, when it will happen, and how current events play into this elaborate scheme they have concocted for themselves.
This obsession with eschatology, and this culture of unending speculation that exists within some Christian circles, has driven some to the opposite extreme. I have met Christians who want nothing to do with eschatology, who act as if what the Scriptures have to say about the end times is unclear, or that the study of what the Bible says about the last days is unprofitable. This is a mistake—eschatology matters.
Why does eschatology matter? Why is it important for disciples of Jesus to know and believe what the Bible has to say regarding the last days? I’ll present you with three reasons.
One, the Bible does have a lot to say about the future and what will happen in the last days. As followers of Christ, we believe the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God. Christians should desire to know all that the Word of God has to say so that we might believe what God has said and live according to the truth. Furthermore, as Christians, we confess that the Word of God is clear. We do not deny that some passages of Scripture are difficult to understand (see 2 Peter 3:16). We confess is that God is a clear communicator (see Second London Confession 1.7) and that it is certainly possible to understand what he has revealed. Again, it’s not as if there are only one or two passages about the last days—there are many! And most of them are not difficult to understand. They are clear. Frankly, it is the man-made system of doctrine known as dispensational, pre-tribulational, pre-millennialism, that is difficult to understand. And this erroneous system of doctrine grew so popular over the last 100 years and has infected the minds of so many Christians, that many have a difficult time reading what the Bible clearly says about the time of the end without importing the errors of that system into the text. The simple point I am here making is that God’s word has a lot to say about the last days and we should desire to know and believe what it says so that we might live according to the truth.
Two, it is important to know what the Bible has to say regarding the future because the destination always affects the journey.
Our confession of faith devotes two chapters to last things.
Chapter 31 summarizes what the Bible teaches about last things as it pertains to the body and souls of individual persons. The chapter title is, Of The State Of Man After Death, And Of The Resurrection Of The Dead. Listen to what it says.
Paragraph 1. The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies; and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day; besides these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
Paragraph 2. At the last day, such of the saints as are found alive, shall not sleep, but be changed; and all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies, and none other; although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever.
Paragraph 3. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor; the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to his own glorious body.
Chapter 32 of our confession is also about last things. It focuses, not on the individual, but on humanity at the final judgment.
Paragraph 1 says, God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ; to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father; in which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.”
Paragraph 2. The end of God’s appointing this day, is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of his justice, in the eternal damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient; for then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and glory with everlasting rewards, in the presence of the Lord; but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast aside into everlasting torments, and punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
Paragraph 3. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will he have the day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus; come quickly. Amen.
These two chapters of our confession provide a fine summary of the teaching of Holy Scripture regarding what will happen in the end. And as I have said, it is important to know and believe these truths because the destination always affects the journey. If men and women do not know where they are going, they will wander aimlessly. And so it is for all who live their lives never thinking about the end—they are bound to wander aimlessly on the journey of life. And if men and women are wrong concerning their destination, their entire course will be misdirected. And so it is for all who have believed lies concerning the future. The Holy Scriptures reveal the truth concerning the destiny of those united to Christ by faith and the wicked. And by God’s grace, knowing the truth about the end will enable us to order our lives accordingly so that we sojourn with purpose and resolve in Christ Jesus toward the reward of eternal life in heaven.
Three, it is important to know what the Bible says regarding the future because false expectations are dangerous.
Typically, when we talk about eschatology, the end times, or the last days, we are concerned with what the Bible has to say about what the world will be like immediately before Christ returns, what will happen when he returns, and what will happen after he returns. But the Bible does not only reveal what will happen when Christ returns, or on the days which immediately precede or follow his return. No, the Scriptures reveal how things will be on earth and for the people of God in the time between Christ’s first and second comings.
The Scriptures call these days—the entire time between Christ’s first and second comings—the last days (see Acts 2:17, 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, James 5:2, 2 Peter 3:3). They are called the last days, not because they are few in number. So far, there have been nearly 2,000 years worth of last days. They are called the last days because, as it pertains to the course of human history, after these days—the days of the New Covenant—there will be no more. Immediately after these days—the days of the New Covenant—there will be the return of Christ, the rapture, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal state.
The Greek word translated as “last” in the phrase “the last days” is ἒσχατος. It is used to refer to something that is the last in a series. And these days—the days between Christ’s first and second comings, the days of the New Covenant—are the last days in a series of days. As we study the Scriptures, it is not difficult to see that human history is divided into epochs or dispensations and that these epochs are distinguished by covenants. The days of Adam prior to the fall were drastically different from the days of Adam and Noah after the fall. In the days of Abraham, God entered into a covenant to fulfill his promise to send a Savior through the Hebrews. In the days of Moses, this promise was carried higher. And in the days of King David, the promise was carried higher still. But these days—the days of the Messiah and his Covenant of Grace—are the last days. Messiah rules are reigns in heaven now. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to him (Matthew 28:18), and he will reign from on high until that day when his enemies will be made a footstool for his feet (see Hebrews 10:13). On that day, Christ will restore all things (see Acts 3:21)
The Bible has a lot to say about how these last days will be for God’s people.
Listen to Paul’s description. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1–7).
Listen to what Peter says. “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Peter 3:1–7).
If we had the time, I could walk you through the book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John, to show you that he agrees. That marvelous book communicates, largely through images and symbols, that in these last days, God’s people will experience trials, tribulations, and difficulties. But God and Christ know how to keep those who belong to them while judging the world!
And where did Paul, Peter, and John get their ideas about how things will be in these last days? They were taught by Christ and the same Spirit that anointed Christ inspired them to write what they wrote.
The point I am here making is that the Scriptures say a lot about how things will be in these last days so that we might know what to expect as we sojourn. As I’ve said, false expectations are dangerous. When harbored in the hearts of God’s people false expectations will lead to disappointment and despair.
*****
When Christ Returns, The World Will Be Similar To How It Was In The Days Of Noah And Lot
So what will the world be like when Christ, the Son Of Man, returns?
Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 17:26. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26–27)
So then, when Christ returns, the world will be similar to how it was in the days of Noah. And how was the world in the days of Noah? I supposed I could simply read you the 2 Timothy 3:1-7 passage again but begin with these words: The days Noah there were “times of difficulty” for God’s people. For people [were] lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” etc. ” (2 Timothy 3:1–7).
In the days of Noah, the world was very worldly— “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)—and God’s people were mocked, ridiculed, and mistreated. This will be the condition of the world when the Son of Man appears. Stated negatively, there will be no golden age—no Christianization of culture— before Christ returns, as some post-millennialists claim.
What will the world be like when Christ, the Son Of Man, returns?
Listen to what Christ says in Luke 17:28-30. “Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:28–30).
When Christ speaks of the days of Lot, he assumes his audience knows the story of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, and the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as told in Genesis 19. I will not take the time to read that story to you. In brief, Lot was a righteous man. He dwelt in the midst of an exceedingly perverse culture. The culture was especially perverse sexually. The Lord rained down fire and sulfur on those cities. But before he poured out his judgment, he rescued (raptured) Lot and his family.
The Apostle Peter reflects on that event, saying, “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment…” (2 Peter 2:6–9). This agrees with what Christ says here in Luke 17:28-29. “Just as it was in the days of Lot… so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:28–30).
It is interesting to note that Christ does not say anything about the wickedness that existed in the world in the days before the flood, or the wickedness that was present in Sodom and Gomorrah. Concerning the days of Noah, Christ said, “They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:27). And concerning Sodom, Christ said, “Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all…” (Luke 17:28–29). Clearly, there is nothing inherently sinful about eating and drinking, entering into marriage, buying and selling, or planting and building. Students of the Bible have wondered why Christ simply mentioned these activities, which can be done in a very good and God-honoring way, while saying nothing about the great wickedness and perversion that was present in the episodes.
There are two reasons, I think.
On the one hand, Christ assumes his audience is familiar with the story of Noah and the flood (Genesis 6 & 7) and the study of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as told in (Genesis 18 & 19). Those familiar with these stories will know that in these days people were not eating and drinking, entering into marriage, buying, and selling, or planting and building in a good and God-honoring way, but sinfully and perversely. They were gluttons and drunkards, sexually perverse and oppressive, and greedy for gain.
On the other hand, when Christ simply says that they were eating and drinking, entering into marriage, buying, selling, planting and building, he describes the situation from the vantage point of the wicked. What were they concerned about? What was the focus of their existence? Where were their eyes and hearts fixed? They were consumed with the world and the pleasures of this world. They did not think anything at all about God and his righteous judgments. They were consumed with the world and the things of this world, and then one day, judgment fell upon them. The flood came and destroyed them all. Fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. And so it will be when the Son of Man returns. When Christ returns, he will come suddenly like a thief in the night. The wicked will be surprised and caught off guard. But God’s people are to be ready (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).
*****
Don’t Look Back
In verse 31 we hear Christ say, “On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:31–32).
What is the meaning of this? The meaning is that disciples of Jesus are not to be so attached to the world and the things of this world that their impulse is to run and gather their goods and possessions when the Lord comes in judgment.
When the Son of Man returns on the last day, those united to him by faith will welcome him. They will not run from him to hide or cling to their worldly treasures, for Christ is their treasure! The last day will be a joyous and glorious day for the believer. But for the wicked who remain in their sins, the last day will be a day of terror and distress.
Furthermore, those who trust in Jesus are to have the same impulse when Christ pours out his judgments on the ungodly in partial and restrained ways before the time of the end. I trust you can see that the Lord came in judgment when he flooded the earth in the days of Noah, but it was not the final judgment. The righteous were spared, and human history went on. The flood was a type of the final judgment yet to come. And the same was true of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When God poured out his wrath on those cities, it was a type or picture of the final judgment. The righteous were spared and the wicked were judged. Jesus tells us to remember Lot’s wife! God’s word says that she “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). When the text says, she looked back, it means that she looked back with longing and love for the things of this world. Her heart was in Sodom and Gomorrah, and so she was judged along with Sodom and Gomorrah. We must not be like her when Christ returns at the end of time. And we must not be like here when the Lord pours out his partial and restrained judgments on wicked people and nations in the time before the end.
You should know that Christ came to judge in this partial and restrained way in the year 70 AD. It was then that Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans and the temple was destroyed. The destruction and the suffering was very great. And so disciples of Jesus, being caught in the middle of this, had an opportunity to obey the words they heard him speak—“On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it” (Luke 17:31–33).
*****
One Will Be Taken And One Will Be Left
In verse 34 we hear Christ say, “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34–35).
This is about the rapture. Paul speaks of the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 when he says, “Then we who are alive, who are left [when Christ returns], will be caught up together with [the dead in Christ who are raised] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). When Christ returns he will pour out his wrath upon the wicked, but first, he will gather his people to himself in the air.
That this rapture will be worldwide is shown in the fact that two will be sleeping at night in one bed, one will be taken and the other left, and two will be grinding grain at the mill (in the day), and one will be taken and the other left.
When Christ tells us that a distinction will be made between those sleeping in the same bed and those grinding at a mill together he teaches us that his people will remain in the world until he returns and that his people are distinguished, not by race or ethnicity, but by faith. His people are not to withdraw from the world. His people will be interspersed with the world. Just as Noah and Lot lived in the world but were not of the world, so too the Christian is to live in the world but be not of it. To quote Peter again, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment…” (2 Peter 2:9)
*****
Where Will These Things Take Place?
This passage begins with the Pharisees asking when the kingdom of God would come (see Luke 17:20), and it concludes with his disciples asking, “Where, Lord?” Where will this judgment and rapture take place? Christ’s reply is enigmatic. “He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather’” (Luke 17:37). I take this to mean that it will be clear when the time comes. The judgment that is brought at the end of time when Christ returns will be global. The partial and restrained judgments of Chris that come before the time of the end will be easy to see.
